New Paradigms in Design Education Foster Empathy and Engagement
Key Highlights
- Contemporary design education should prioritize real-world engagement, civic participation, and cultural literacy beyond traditional studio models.
- When taught as a philosophy that fosters belonging, social justice, and activism, inclusion moves beyond demographic representation.
- Maintaining optimism is essential for student resilience and growth during uncertain and turbulent times.
What does it mean to teach design in a time of cultural change, civic urgency, and expanding equity? These insights from leading educators offer a powerful starting point.
Design education isn’t what it used to be—and that’s a good thing. From rethinking what inclusion really looks like in the studio to reframing failure as a tool, today’s most forward-thinking educators are reshaping how the next generation of designers learn, lead, and listen. We dug into the IIDA archives to uncover enduring insights from IIDA Educator of the Year award winners and other leading voices. Here are eight powerful takeaways from those teaching at the forefront of change.
1. Let the classroom reflect the real world.
“Design’s role in choreographing our engagement with the physical world, at a time when so much in our lives has increasingly become virtual, has never been more critical.”—Igor Siddiqui, IIDA, Associate Professor and Director of the Interior Design Program, University of Texas at Austin, 2022 IIDA Educator of the Year
Takeaway: Design doesn’t exist in isolation—and neither should design education. In an increasingly virtual world, Siddiqui emphasizes the need to expand beyond traditional studio models to include civic engagement, cultural literacy, and collaboration. Teaching design today means teaching students to operate in a complex world, not just within the four walls of a classroom.
2. Teach inclusion not just as representation—but as philosophy.
“Teaching broadens opportunities for interior design students to learn about diverse experiences of space, question their perceptions and approaches, and transform into activists for social justice.”—Tasoulla Hadjiyanni, Ph.D., Northrop Professor and Program Director, Interior Design, University of Minnesota, 2021 IIDA Educator Diversity Award recipient
Takeaway: For Hadjiyanni, “inclusion” in design education must go beyond demographic checkboxes. Her pedagogy emphasizes cultivating belonging, agency, and social purpose. Hadjiyanni encourages students to interrogate their assumptions about space, listen to underrepresented communities, and use design as a tool for transformation and justice.
3. Design with empathy—not just aesthetics.
“All our students will be designing for multiple audiences, and developing empathy and global competency is the first step to good design.”—Milagros Zingoni-Phielipp, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Director at University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2021 IIDA Educator Diversity Award recipient
Takeaway: Zingoni-Phielipp connects failure and iteration with empathy-building and global design responsibility. Her philosophy centers on teaching students to understand diverse audiences through deep engagement and to design with cultural consciousness—making each project a step toward inclusive and socially aware practice.
4. Let community take the lead.
“The cornerstone of my educational philosophy lies in the belief that as interior design educators, we should conduct research to truly understand the lives of marginalized communities, whether due to race, economics, or other factors.”— Asha Kutty, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Interior Architecture, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2023 IIDA Educator Diversity Award recipient
Takeaway: Kutty’s teaching is grounded in a community-centered approach. Her pedagogy invites students to examine how minority communities interact with physical spaces—often as responses to marginalization. By centering these lived experiences, she models how design education can become a vehicle for civic engagement, social equity, and cultural storytelling.
5. Look at space through the lens of identity.
“In addition to my education as a designer, one of the most important experiences shaping my teaching and research is my involvement with LGBTQ groups. Not only has this led me to think about spaces beyond just their physical and material characteristics, it has also opened up opportunities to be involved in research projects bringing together social workers, sociologists, sexologists, historians, and more.”— Olivier Vallerand, Ph.D., Associate IIDA, Assistant Professor of Interior Architecture, Arizona State University, 2021 IIDA Educator of the Year
Takeaway: For Vallerand, working with LGBTQ communities has redefined space—not just as a physical construct, but as a social one. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and centering marginalized perspectives, he models how students can approach space through cultural and political lenses, an essential step toward more inclusive, responsive design.
6. Stay optimistic—even in uncertain times.
“From an educational point of view, we must remain optimistic so our students can continue to learn.”—Jon Otis, FIIDA, Tenured Full Professor of Interior Design, Pratt Institute
Takeaway: Otis underscores that optimism is more than attitude—it’s an educational strategy. Especially in times of crisis, he believes educators must maintain hope and clarity to support student growth. Teaching design in turbulent periods requires anchoring students in stability, resilience, and a forward-looking mindset.
7. Craft environments that resonate emotionally.
“Awe creates little earthquakes in the mind—it literally changes our framing with which we see the world.”—Upali Nanda, Ph.D., Professor of Practice at the Taubman School of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Michigan, and Global Sector Director of Innovation, Partner, and Executive Vice President at HKS
Takeaway: Nanda argues that awe is more than an emotional response—it fundamentally reshapes perception, opening people to new ideas, deeper reflection, and greater empathy. In design education, moments of awe become powerful pedagogical tools: They spark wonder, challenge assumptions, and cultivate designers who can engage users in transformative experiences.
8. Use space to foster belonging.
“I’ve witnessed how interiors can either welcome or alienate. This insight drives my belief that space is not just a setting for life, but a powerful force in shaping identity, memory, and resilience.”— Rana Abudayyeh, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Robin Klehr Avia Professor of Interior Architecture, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2024 IIDA Educator Diversity Award recipient
Takeaway: Abudayyeh reminds us that design carries emotional and cultural weight. Teaching students to craft spaces that welcome—and never alienate—is essential for nurturing belonging and lasting impact through design.
Edifying Moments From The Design Community
